March 02, 2011

Milliseconds matter when it comes hand injury prevention

OA Donates $5,000 to Local High School for SawStop® Table Saw

Dr. John Chance, a hand doctor at OA Centers for Orthopaedics, has seen the damage caused by table saw accidents more often than we would like. That’s why when Cape Elizabeth High School technology director, Jim Ray, approached him for possible funding to support the purchase of a SawStop® table saw, he was happy to help.

The SawStop table saws are among the most advanced saws in the world, setting a new standard for safety and hand injury prevention. The SawStop table saw is equipped with a safety system that detects accidental skin contact with a spinning saw blade. The saw literally stops the blade within milliseconds of skin contact, avoiding a devastating hand injury from the saw. The saw includes an electronic detection system that induces an electrical signal onto the blade and then monitors that signal for a change in frequency. In effect, the saw detects the electrical capacitance of the human body. When a hand comes in contact with the blade, the signal drops and the saw stops before inflicting serious injury.

The drawing below from the SawStop website illustrates the changes in electrical signal when part of the hand comes into contact with the teeth of the spinning saw.

As reported by the Cape Courier in the February 23 issue, both the school department and the Cape Elizabeth Education Foundation had turned down Ray’s previous requests for funding. OA stepped up and provided the financial support necessary to purchase the SawStop table saw. “We had a great year last year,” said John Wipfler, CEO of OA Centers for Orthopaedics. “And, we were pleased to be able to give back to the community and help prevent hand injuries at Cape Elizabeth High School.”